My mom once told me, “We come into this world alone; we go out of it alone.”
I had to correct her. Why? Because I’m a twin.
It’s ironic that being a twin makes me unique — but it’s true. Most people do not have a sibling their exact same age to grow up with; most people do come into this world alone.
But twins like Clare and I have always been a rarity.
Or so I thought, until the news that Fayetteville-Manlius High School graduated seven sets of twins this year came across my desk.
For me, this was great news. It’s comforting to know there are 14 high school seniors just at F-M who have likely all been asked, more times than they can count:
What’s it like having a twin? (My response to this question usually goes something like this: It’s like having a sibling who’s the same age as you.)
Do you like being a twin? (It’s all I’ve ever been. Are non-twins ever asked, “Do you like being a sibling?”)
Who’s older? (I am. By two minutes. Or it might be 10. We’re not really sure, but I’m definitely older.)
Where’s your twin? (I don’t know. We’re not attached at the hip.)
Do you have ESP? (Really?)
Are you identical or fraternal? (Fraternal. And yes, even though Clare and I are sister and brother, we do get asked this a lot.)
But to answer that first question more seriously, having a twin is like nothing else. I was close with my sister growing up, but the competitive nature of school pushed us apart. When she made it into the National Honor Society her junior year, I didn’t. When I was on the varsity soccer team, she had turned her back on the sport because, well, high school girls can be cruel.
As members of the same graduating class, it was nearly impossible not to be competitive, and by the time we left high school, we were definitely both due for some time off from all of the comparisons to one another.
It wasn’t until Clare and I went our separate ways for college — me to western New York and her to California — that I realized how fortunate I was to have a twin.
And now that we’re both out of undergrad, facing the challenges of living on our own, we’re closer than ever.
Pretty soon she’ll be moving into a house down the road from me in Syracuse and we’ll be neighbors, which I can honestly say I’m looking forward to. I never thought I’d see the day.
Just like Clare and I, the twins of F-M’s Class of 2012 have all chosen to go to different colleges, which will allow them to go off and do their own thing, and be viewed as more than just one half of a set of twins.
And when they do take on the world, they’ll have the advantage of knowing their twin is doing the same, and is just a phone call away.
And thank goodness for cell phones — for those days when ESP doesn’t seem to be working.
Ned Campbell is editor of the Eagle Bulletin. Reach him at [email protected].
